Music-teaching apparatus.



Patented Sep't. 9, |902.

H.. woonsoN. Muslc TEAcHmG APPARATUS.

( Applicationled Nov. 26, 1901.)

5 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 708,688. Patented sept. 9, |902.

H. WOODSON. music TEACHING APPARATUS.

('Appucazion med Nov. 2e, 1901.) (No Modell) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Witwen@ @uwl No. 708,888. Patented sept. 9, |982.

H. woonsou.

MUSIC TEACHING APPARATUS.

(Appliation filed Nov. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-$heet 4.

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Patented Sept. 9, |902.

5 Sheen-Sheet 5A i H WOUDSON MUSIC TEACHlNG APPARATUS.

(Appl 1 man 26 1901 (No Model.) A

UNITED STATES PATENT OEE-ICE.

HENRY WOODSON, OF VINLOCK, IVASI-IINGTON.

MUSIC-TEACHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersvPatent No. 708,688, dated September 9, 1902.

.Application ledlNoveniber 26, 1901. Serial No. 83,787. (No model.)

To a/Z whom, t may concern:

- Beit known that I, HENRY WOODSON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Vinlock, in the county of Lewis and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music- Teaching Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an instrument or apparatus specially arranged and adapted for teaching music; and the main object of my invention is to produce an instrument or apparatus in which a keyboard is arranged to coperate with a staff-board, so that an operator may press on the keys of the keyboard and move a note or notes on the staff-board to positions corresponding to the keys pressed.

Vith this object in View my invention consists in a music-teaching apparatus which is shown in what I now consider its preferable embodiment in the accompanying drawings and which is hereinafter more particularly described and then definitely set forth by the claims at the end hereof.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of my complete apparatus open for use. a detached perspective of the device for locking the staff-board to the case containing the keyboard. Fig. 3 is a similar View to Fig. l, but which is taken from the side viewed by the pupil and in which the case is represented in dotted lines as being thrown entirely open. Fig. 4: is a perspective View of the treblenote rod, showing an accidental7 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the keyboard, taken on a line ruiming through the adjusting-screws. Fig. 6 is a similar section taken on a line running parallel with the treble lever. Fig. 7 is a similar section on aline paralleling the bass lever. Fig. Sis a cross-section through both the treble and bass levers. 9 is a detail of one of the keys. Figs. 10 and ll are side elevations of the staff-board, the former showing sharps displayed and the latter flats. Fig. l2 is a vertical section through the staff-board on the line a; :t of Fig. l. Fig. 13 is a horizontal section through'the lines y y of the same figure. Figs. 14 and l5 are perspective Views of the sharp and iiat levers, respectively.

Referring now to the details of the draw- Fig. 2 isings by n umerals, (see more particularly Figs. 1 and 3,) l represents a case to which is hinged a two-part cover 2 and 3, the part 2 being hinged to the case land the parts 2 and 3 being hinged together, so that the part 3 may be thrown back, as in Fig. l, or both parts may be opened for repairs or whenever otherwise necessary, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Hooks or other equivalent locking means 5 and 6 are provided, by which the parts may be secured together when desirable. On one end of the case I a dovetailed socket or bracket b is secured in any approved manner, and this socket is for the purpose of receiving and supporting a correspondingly-shaped tongue l0, formed on the staff-board l2,this staff-board supporting musical characters, which are so connected with keys in the case as to be manually controlled as the keys are depressed. This staff-board is formed of a main part 12 and a supplemental part 13, hinged together, as shown, so as to be capable of folding, and provided with a brace l5, pivoted to the part l2 and coacting with a headed pin 17 on the part l3,where by the two parts may be held in line with each other, as shown in Figs. l, 3, and 13.

Before describing the keyboard I will rst describe that part of the stad-board l2 13 necessary to enable one to vunderstand the operation of the note characters. The staffboard is divided into two parts 19 and 2l, the iirst forming a treble staff and the other the bass. On each of these staffs is Iixedly secured brackets 23 and 25, and in the bracket 23 is fulcrumed or pivoted a treble-character rod 27 and in the other bracket a bass-character rod 29. The former supports at its out-er extremity a note character 3l, which I shall hereinafter designate as the treble character, as it is displayed on the upper or treble staff, and the other rod supports a similar note character 33, which will be called the bass character, as it is displayed before the lower staff. These character-rods 27 and 29 are provided with springs 33 and 35, which are arranged to draw the note characters down to their lowermost positions. Studs or pins 37 and 38 maybe provided to prevent the characters from descending too far. Iitmen or connecting-rods -10 and 42 are connected, respectively, to the opposite ends of the char- IOO acier-rods 27 and 29, and it will be manifest that as' either or both of these pitmen are drawn or pulled downward the note characters Will be elevated and brought to position ou their respective stas. I will now describe the keyboard and its connections for operating these note characters by means of the pitmen or connecting-rods 40 and 42.

At the rear of the interior of the case 1 is secured a longitudinal supporting-rod 44, (see Fig. 8,) and to this rod are hinged, preferably by liexible spring-hinges 46, two series of keys 48 and 50, the former being the bass and the latter the treble keys. Underneath these keys are two levers 52 and 54. (See Figs. 6 and 7.) The lever 52 is under the bass keys only and is hinged at one end to a supporting-block 56 and at the opposite end is guided by a fixed guide-pin 58. The free end of the said bass lever is connected with a pivoted rod 60, which in turn is connected with the bass pitman 42, hereinbefore mentioned. Under all of the keys and situated, preferably, in front of the bass lever 52 is the treble lever 54, which extends the full length of the keyboard and is pivoted or hinged at one end to the fixed support 60 (see Fig. 6) and is guided exactly like the bass lever at the opposite end by a guide-pin 62, and its free end is similarly connected to a rod 64, pivotally connected with the pitman 40, heretofore described as being connected to 'the treblecharacter rod 27. All of the bass keys 48 are cutaway or grooved at 49 (see Figs. 6 and 8) immediately over the treble lever 54, so that when the bass keys are depressed they will not move the treble lever. keys have metallic bearing-surfaces 70 (see Fig. 9) to decrease the friction where they.

contact with the treble or base levers 52 or 54. Situated within the case l and immediately under the front end of the keys is a longitudinal support 72, in which are screwed two sets of adjusting-screws 74 and 76, (see Fig. 5,) which form stops to prevent the keys being depressed too far. The front of the case lis slotted at 78, (see Figs. 1 and 8,) so that a suitable key may be introduced to adjust these screws.

It follows from the constructions just described that when a key of the treble series, for instance, is depressed the key depressed acts on the treble lever 54 and depresses said lever until the key is prevented from furupward, and if thescrews 76 be carefully ad-v justed each key will move the'note character to its respective place on the staff. As the sharps and liats will be hereinafter sepa- All of the` rately described, it may here be mentioned that the black portion of the keyboard, :representing the sharps and Hats, is merely painted or embossed thereon, as it serves no other purpose than to simulate the ordinary keyboard. ItV should also have been mentioned that the upper ends of the pitmen 40 and 42 are hook-shaped, (see 43 in Fig. 10,) so that when the staff-board is detached from the keyboard the parts may be easily disconnected, and as the said pitmen 40 and 42 are pivotally connected to the rods 60 and 64 they may be folded down onto the keys when the case is shut for packing or transportation.

I will next describe the mechanism for indicating in what key the musical characters.

are to be represented on the staff-board. The main part l2 of the stad-board is made with recessed portions 8O and 82, (see particularly Figs. 12 and 13,) and openings 84 and 86 are formed in the face of the stad-board, (see Figs. 3, 10, and 11,) which are of smaller size than said recesses 80 and 82, so that there is room on each side of said recesses for concealing two sets of sharps and lats. The two sets of sharps are arranged on one side and the two sets of flats on the opposite side, so that they may be projected outward and be visible through the openings 84 and 86, as clearly shown in said Figs. 10 and 11. These sharps and iiats are connected to separate or independent crank-arms 88 and 89, (see Figs. 14 and 15,) and these arms are fixed to axles 90, so as to enable their sharps and i'lats to be swung into their respective positions. For this purpose the crank-arms 88 and 89 must be ot' different lengths, so as to properly pass each other and swing into the positions on the staff they must necessarily occupy to give their proper meaning. The axles 90 are continued through the staff board and through plates 92 and 94. In my drawings I have illustrated four sharps and'four ats for each clef; but it is obvious that there may be provision for six sharps and six flats in order to provide for all the keys from C- major t0 G-lat and F-sharp and their relative minors. As there are four sharps for the treble and four for the bass on one side of the openings 84 and 86 and four flats for the treble and four for the bass on the opposite side, there are eight of these axles 90 on each side. To each axle is rigidly secureda cam -lever 96, and each cam-lever and its crank-arm and its sharp or fiat move in unison. The cam-levers are each provided with a slot 98, forming a means of engagement with a stud or pin, to be described. For each set of eight sharps or eight flats is arranged a signature-slide, there being one slide 100 on one side for the ats and one slide 102 on the opposite sides for the sharps. These slides are held in position on one side bythe before-described axle 90 and on the opposite side by blocks 104 and 106, (see Fig. 1,) and the slides are, as their name sug- IOO gests, adapted to slide up and down and to give them sliding movement. When necessary, I employ two signature-levers 103 and 110. As these levers are similar in construction and operation, a description of ,one will suffice. The lever 110 is pivoted at 112 and has one arm connected to the signature-slide 100 by means of a pivoted link 114, and at its free end the lever 110 is provided with a handle 116, by which the lever may be moved. A quadrant 118 is provided for each lever, and each quadrant has live notches, one for Zero and one for each sharp or fiat, the arrangement being such that when a sharp-lever is inthe zero-notch no sharps will be displayed. Vhen it is in the first notch from Zero, one sharp will appear; in the second, two sharps, and so on. Each of the signature-slides 102 and 100 is provided with a number of studs 116, there being one stud for each cam-lever 96. These studs are arranged to cooperate with the cam-levers, so that when one of the signature-slides is raised by its lever 110 the studs 116 will engage the cam-notches 98 in the cam-levers 96 and rotate the cam-levers and their axles 90, thus simultaneously mov-l ing the crank-arms S3 with their sharps or flats, as the case may be. distanced and the cam-levers so shaped that the studs progressively engage the cam-le vers, so as to move first one, then the second, then the third, and inally the fourth. They are also so arranged that the first and fifth studs, the second and sixth, and so on, engage their respective cam-levers simultaneously, so that the same number of sharps (or flats) Will be simultaneously displayed in the treble and bass openings 84 and 86. Likewise the notches in the quadrants 11S are so spaced that when the lever 110 rests in any notch the sharps (or Hats) will appear in their appropriate places on the staff. In order to lock the sharp signature-slide, so as to keepl it from being moved when iiats are displayed, or vice versa, I employ two spring-locks 120 and 122, which coact with two studs 121 and 123 on the signature-slides 102 and 100, respectively. These spring -locks have inwardly-bent portions 124 and 126, arranged so that when the levers 110 and 108 are in the Zero-notches they will be immediately under said portions 124 and 126, the arrangement being such that when the lever 110, for instance, is moved even to the first notch the said lever 110 moves from under said inwardly-bent portion 124 and the lock 120 by reason of its resiliency springs slightly inward, and in doing so its end,which is guided in the guide-bracket 126, also moves inward and moves in the path of the stud 121, thus preventing the signature-slide 102 from being moved as long as the other slide 100 is displaying its symbols. Of course as soon as the lever 110 is moved to Zero it moves under the inwardly-bent portion 124, and thus lifts the outer end of the lock 120 from the path of the stud 121, so that the signature-slide 1.02 may The studs are so' now be moved; but as soon as this signatureslide 102 is moved by its lever 10S the opposite signature-slide 100 is locked (in a similar manner) by the spring-lock 122 andthe st'ud 123'.

lVith the mechanism so far described it will be possible to display' any musical note on the staff except an accidental, and this may be done by the following-described means.

130 (see Figs. 3 and 4) represents an accidental, which is normally hidden behind the treble note character 31 and is of a contrasting color, (as red,) so as to make it more easily noticed when brought into view. This accidental is formed on or connected with a rocking lever 132, pivoted on the characterrod 27, a spring 133 being employed to normally retain the accidental behind the note character 31. To the upper end of this lever 132 is connected a tine wire or cord 135, the other end of which is connected to a crankarm 137, rigidly connected to a spindle 139,

(see Fig. 4,) which is journaled in the staifboard 12 and has connected to its other end a second crank-arm 140, to which is connected a line wire or cord 142, with a loop 143 in its free end adapted to be looped over the end of a wire rod 145, which extends over all the keys and is pivotally supported at its opposite end by means of a standard 147, pivotally secured to a plate 149 on the case 1. The result ot' this construction is such that as the rod 145 is over all of the treble keys the rod 145 may be depressed simultaneously with the proper key when it is desired to designate an accidental on the staff. The standard 147 is pivoted to the plate 149, so that when the wire or cord 142 is disconnected from the rod 145 the standard may be slightly moved on its pivot until the rod rests on the keys, and the cover 3 can then be closed Without doing injury to the parts.

It is believed the foregoing description is in sufficient detail to make it unnecessary to give a detailed description of the operation, and it will therefore be sufcient t-o state that a teacher may operate the keys and through the described connections cause the treble or bass note characters to move to any desired part of the staff-board in order to represent any note or tone and that by moving the signature-levers 108 and 110 the desired number of sharps or flats may be displayed in their proper places to indicate the proper key. In this way a teacher is enabled to improvise such music as he may desire the pupil to sing or play and prevents him from committing to memory until they are sufliciently advanced to be able to play the desired grade of music at sight.

I have herein described the form of my in vention that I now consider its preferable embodiment; but I do not limit myself to the various constructions shown, as my invention may be varied and modified without departing from its characteristic features.

What I claim as now is- IIO l. In a music-teaching apparatus, a staff, and a single musical character cooperating with said staff, in combination with a keyboard having a number ofl keys operatively connected with said single character, Wherebythe movement of any of the keys connected with said character moves the latter with reference to said staff, substantially as described.

2. In music-teaching apparatus, treble and bass staffs, musical characters, one of said characters cooperating with each of said staffs, in combination with a keyboard having certain keys operatively connected with one of said characters, and other keys operatively connected with the other character, whereby the movement of certain of said keys moves one of said characters, and the movement of other keys operates the other character, substantially as described.

3. In music-teaching apparatus, astaff, and a single musical character cooperating With said staff, in combination with a keyboard, and operative connections between the keys of said keyboard and said single character, said connections being such that the movement of the keys imparts varying movement to said character, substantially as described.

4. In music-teaching apparatus, treble and bass stas, musical characters, there being one character for each sta, in combination with a keyboard having part of its keys operatively connected with one character, and other keys connected with the other character, the connections between said keyboard and characters being such that the movements of certain keys cause varying action of one character and the movements of other keys cause varying movements of the other character, substantially as described.

5. In music-teaching apparatus, the combination of a keyboard, a staff-board detachably connected with said keyboard, and a single musical character cooperating with said staff-board, the said keyboard having a number of keys operatively connected With said single character, whereby the movement of any of the keys connected With said character moves the latter with reference to said sta-board, substantially as described.

6. In music-teaching apparatus, a staffboard, said staff-board folding upon itself, and a single musical character cooperating with said staff-board, in combination with a keyboard having a number of keys operatively connected With said single character, whereby the movement of any of the keys connected With said character moves the latter with reference to said staff-board, substantially as described.

7. In music-teaching apparatus, the combination of a staff, and a single musical character cooperating with said staff, a keyboard having a number of keys operatively connected with said single character, whereby the movement of any of the keys connected with said character moves the latter With reference to said staff, sharps and iiats, and mechanism for controlling the same, substantially as described.

8. In music-teaching apparatus, the combination of a staff, and a single musical character cooperating with said staff, a keyboard, operative connections between the keys of said keyboard and said single character, said connections being such that the movements of the keys impart varying movements to said character, sharps and flats, and mechanism for controlling the same, substantially as described.

9. In music-teaching apparatus, the combination of a staff, and a single musical character cooperating with said sta, a keyboard, operative connections between the keys of said keyboard and said single character, said connections beingsuch that the movements of the keys impart varying movements to said character, sharps and flats, and mechanism for controlling the same comprising a lever and intermediate connections, substantially as described.

10. In a music-teaching apparatus, a staffboard having a recess or opening therein, sharps and ats normally hidden behind the board, the sharps being hidden on one side of the recess and the iiats on the other, and mechanism for moving said sharps or flats to exhibit them through said opening from opposite sides thereof, substantially as described.

ll. In music-teaching apparatus, a staboard having a series of sharps and a series of flats on one side thereof, hand-levers on the opposite side of said staff-board controlling the movements of said sharps and flats, and intermediate connections between said levers and said sharps and iiats, substantially as described.

12. In music-teaching apparatus, a staffboard having an opening or recess therein, series of sharps and flats normally located behind the Walls of said recess and on opposite sides thereof, a hand-lever for the sharps and a hand-lever for the iiats, both on the rear side of the staff-board, and intermediate connections between the levers and said sharps and iiats, substantially as described.

13. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff having a series of characters thereon and means for controlling the positions ofsaid characters comprising a cam-lever and reciprocating stud or pin for each character, substantially as described.

14. In music-teaching apparatus, a staif having a series of characters thereon and means for controlling the positions of said characters comprising a cam-lever and reciprocating stud or pin for each character, said levers combined with mechanism to progressively display said characters on said sta, substantially as described.

l5. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff, a series of sharps and flats pivotally mounted with relation to said staif, mechanism for IOO moving the sharps on their pivots, mechanism for moving said flats on their pivots, each of said mechanisms comprising cam-levers and reciprocating studs or pins and a lock arranged to lock one of said mechanisms when the other mechanism is being moved, substantially as described.

16. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff, a series of musical characters, a lever connected with each of said characters, a slide having means coperating with all of said levers for controlling the position of said characters, and a hand-lever for operating said slide, substantially as described.

17. In music-teaching apparatus, a stai'lf, a series of musical characters, a series of levers connected with said characters, aslide having studs cooperating with said levers, and a lever for operating said slide and said iirst-mentioned levers and a quadrant for holding said lever, substantially as described.

1S. In a music-teaching apparatus, a staff, a series of musical characters arranged to be displayed thereon, a cam-lever and reciprocating studs or pins for each character, and means for operating said cam-levers; the said cam-levers being arranged to progressively display the said musical characters, substantially as described.

19. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff having an opening` therein, a series of sharps and flats concealed by said staff, and mechanism for displaying said characters through said openings, comprising a lever and a reciprocating stud or pin for each sharp and dat, substan tially as described.

20. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff havingacharacter-rod pivoted thereon,a character supported by said rod, and a keyboard having its keys connected with said character-rod and imparting varying movements thereto, substantially as described.

2l. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff, a musical character supported thereon, a keyboard having its keys arranged to move said character varying distances, an accidental concealed behind said character, and means for displaying said accidental, substantially as described.

22. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff having a musical character thereon, in combination with a keyboard having a series of keys, a lever under said keys arranged to be depressed thereby and having connections with the character on said staff, and means whereby the different keys impart varying movements to said character, substantially as described.

2.5. In musicteaching apparatus, a staff having two cleffs thereon, a musical character foreach cleif, in combination with a keyboard, levers under said keyboard arranged to be operated by said keys, connections between one of said levers and one of said musical characters and connections between the other lever and the other musical character,means whereby the different keys impart varying movements to said character, substantially as described.

24. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff having treble and bass characters arranged to be displayed thereon, in combination with a keyboard, bass and treble levers under said keys, the treble lever being connected with the treble character and the bass lever with the bass character, and means for causing the keys of said keyboard to operate said characters varying distances, substantially as described.

25. In music-teaching apparatus, a staff having a musical character arranged to be displayed thereon, in combination with a keyboard having its keys arranged to move said character, and adjustable stops under said keys, whereby the movements of said keys maybe graduated, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Castle Rock, Cowlitz county, Washington, this 18th day of November, 190l.

HENRY WOODSON.

W'itnesses:

R. BREWER, JOHN H. PAULY. 

